A masterpiece of the RAGE engine, heavily taxing the GPU with volumetric lighting and water physics. Interestingly, it has relatively low CPU utilization compared to its graphical demands. Be prepared for a massive 150GB install size.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, frame rates range from 28 to 68 FPS depending on quality settings. At 1440p, frame rates range from 24 to 53 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 11 to 28 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 279% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1060) for Red Dead Redemption 2. The Core i5-4590 is 41% below recommended, but 30% above minimum.
The Core i5-4590 sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1700. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 28 FPS, equivalent to 0.02 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.040 fps/$ | 0.034 fps/$ | 0.025 fps/$ | 0.016 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.031 fps/$ | 0.026 fps/$ | 0.019 fps/$ | 0.014 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.016 fps/$ | 0.012 fps/$ | 0.008 fps/$ | 0.006 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 4k ultra, the Core i5-4590 sets the ceiling at about 11 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 73 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 85% (FPS gap: 62 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.
Your Core i5-4590 is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the GeForce RTX 4090 rendering potential remains unused in those settings.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU Limits GPU 73% | CPU Limits GPU 74% | CPU Limits GPU 77% | CPU Limits GPU 81% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 70% | CPU Limits GPU 71% | CPU Limits GPU 76% | CPU Limits GPU 80% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 75% | CPU Limits GPU 78% | CPU Limits GPU 84% | CPU Limits GPU 85% |
We estimate the maximum FPS the processor can sustain and the maximum FPS the graphics card can sustain in each setting, then compare those limits directly.
Limit Factor formula: (stronger - weaker) / stronger. Example: if CPU ceiling is 200 FPS and GPU ceiling is 140 FPS, then GPU limits CPU by 30%.
CPU Limits GPU means the processor ceiling is lower. GPU Limits CPU means the graphics ceiling is lower. Balanced means the FPS ceilings are close enough that the gap is negligible.
A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU92% - 100% <> GPU32% - 62% <> | CPU91% - 100% <> GPU44% - 68% <> | CPU90% - 100% <> GPU43% - 67% <> | CPU91% - 100% <> GPU42% - 65% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU72% - 100% <> GPU49% - 78% <> | CPU72% - 100% <> GPU66% - 89% <> | CPU73% - 100% <> GPU66% - 88% <> | CPU74% - 100% <> GPU66% - 86% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU60% - 100% <> GPU67% - 91% <> | CPU60% - 100% <> GPU91% - 100% <> | CPU61% - 100% <> GPU90% - 100% <> | CPU61% - 100% <> GPU92% - 100% <> |
The Core i5-4590 + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 60% and 100% and GPU utilization between 32% and 100%. Core i5-4590 reaches high load in heavier scenarios, while GeForce RTX 4090 carries most of the graphics load at heavier visual settings. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 53% at 1080p to 92% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 96% to 80%.
From a utilization perspective, this is a CPU-heavy load profile. At 1080p (Full HD) Low, the Core i5-4590 reaches 96% average load (92-100%), while the GeForce RTX 4090 remains comparatively lower at 47% (32-62%). This points to heavier CPU-side frame preparation work, but utilization alone does not define the FPS limiter.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 96% and GPU 53%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 86% and GPU 74%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 80% and GPU 92%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
4K (Ultra HD) High is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 80% (61-100%) and GPU 95% (90-100%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i5-4590 remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Both components are stressed near their limits in the heaviest presets (Core i5-4590: 96% avg, GeForce RTX 4090: 96% avg). A targeted upgrade should follow your target resolution: GPU first for higher image quality, CPU first for higher minimum FPS.
Understanding Hardware Utilization: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. They describe hardware load, but they do not directly tell you which component sets the FPS ceiling.
Important: a CPU or GPU can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. Two processors can both show 40% usage and still deliver very different frame rates, depending on per-core speed, cache, engine threading, driver overhead, and frame preparation efficiency.
Data generated by our Machine Learning engine trained on real-world benchmarks. Shows the approximate average utilization at each setting.
See how your processor and graphics card compare against the game official minimum and recommended system specs. The placement of your hardware is calculated using relative synthetic performance scores to help you gauge overall playability.
Your CPU is 41% below recommended and your GPU is 279% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-41%vsrecommended
+279%vsrecommended
+30%vsminimum
+539%vsminimum
The Core i5-4590 and GeForce RTX 4090 will struggle to run Red Dead Redemption 2 at smooth framerates. At 1080p Ultra, you can expect around 28 FPS which is classified as "struggling". Consider lowering settings or upgrading your hardware.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1700 ($51 CPU + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). Since the CPU is the main limiting factor, investing in a stronger processor will improve your framerates and overall value. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #5 for value).
For Red Dead Redemption 2, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Core i5-4590 is currently the limiting factor — the GeForce RTX 4090 has extra headroom that a faster processor could take advantage of. This is especially noticeable at 1080p where CPU performance matters more. CPU-limited at: 1080p low, 1080p medium, 1080p high, 1080p ultra, 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra.
Red Dead Redemption 2 does not currently support Frame Generation technologies like DLSS 3 or FSR 3. Your performance is based entirely on native rendering. If the game adds support in a future update, newer GPUs will benefit the most.
Red Dead Redemption 2 requires at minimum a Core i5-2500K (CPU) and GeForce GTX 770 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 150 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i7-4770K and GeForce GTX 1060 with 12 GB RAM. Your setup meets the minimum requirements but falls short of the recommended specs. You may need to lower some settings for smooth performance.
These Red Dead Redemption 2 FPS results are not arbitrary numbers. They come from calculations informed by thousands of real gaming benchmarks, and the typical accuracy range is around 10% to 15%. That makes them far more useful than generic FPS calculators that simply invent values without a benchmark foundation. Actual in-game performance can still vary with drivers, updates, RAM configuration, cooling, and the exact scene being rendered.
Performance estimates are based on synthetic benchmarks and hardware capabilities.
Results may vary based on drivers, OS, and background processes.
